Automated mounting machines for mounting products have been recently used when assembling various electronic apparatuses. A large number of taped components containing plural products are used for automatic mounting. The taped component includes a career tape made of plastic. The carrier tape has plural recesses arranged at constant intervals and formed by embossing process. The recesses store products, respectively, and are sealed with a cover tape.
FIG. 12 is a plan view of conventional taped component 501. FIG. 13 is a sectioned view of taped component 501. FIG. 14 is a plan view of career tape 1 of taped component 501. Career tape 1 made of plastic has plural recesses 11 provided therein at constant intervals. Product 20 is stored in each of recesses 11. Cover tape 5 is adhered to an upper surface of career tape 1 to cover and seal recesses 11.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of product 20. Product 20 is a push switch including case 21 having substantially a thin cuboid shape. Push switch elements are accommodated in each of both sides of case 21. Flexible insulation film 23 is placed on a front surface of case 21 at a position where each of the switch elements is accommodated. Terminals 25 connected with these switch elements extend downward from a bottom portion at a center area of case 21.
In description below, a surface of case 21 having flexible insulation films 23 placed thereon is defined as a front surface of product 20, a surface opposite to the front surface is a back surface, and a direction in which terminals 25 projects from case 21 is a downward direction.
Terminal 25 is made of thin metal plate having elasticity, and projects downward from case 21. Terminal 25 has first bent portion 26 formed by being bent frontward and second bent portion 27 formed by being bent upward at a tip of first bent portion 26. A surface of second bent portion 27 facing downward is pressed to contact a wiring pattern to electrically connect product 20.
In conventional taped component 501, product 20 is stored such that the front surface of case 21 having flexible insulation films 23 placed thereon faces towards an opening of recess 11 of career tape 1, and the back surface is mounted onto a bottom of recess 11, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.
A method of taking out product 20 from conventional taped component 501 and mounting product 20 will be described. FIGS. 16 to 19 are perspective views of taped component 501 for illustrating the method of mounting product 20.
Cover tape 5 is removed from career tape 1, and then product 20 is retained by sucking the center of the front surface of case 21 with suction chuck 30, as shown in FIG. 16. Product 20 is taken out from recess 11 of career tape 1 while sucking and holding the center of the front surface of case 21 with suction chuck 30.
Then, retaining chuck 32 approaches to product 20 from the surface of case 21 from which terminal 25 projects while the center of the front surface of case 21 is sucked and held with suction chuck 30, as shown in FIG. 17. Retaining chuck 32 includes retainer 32C including movable section 32A and fixed section 32B facing each other. Retaining chuck 32 retains product 20 by holding case 21 with movable section 32A and fixed section 32B from the surface from which terminal 25 projects. Suction chuck 30 is moved away from product 20 when retaining chuck 32 holds case 21.
Then, mounting tool 35 having engage portions 35A having shapes approximating the shape of case 21 of product 20 is prepared, as shown in FIG. 18. Product 20 retained by retaining chuck 32 is engaged in engage portions 35A of mounting tool 35 from the upper side of case 21. Then, retaining chuck 32 releases product 20. This allows product 20 to be engaged in mounting tool 35, as shown in FIG. 19. Then, mounting tool 35 is positioned and held with a case of an electronic apparatus, and presses product 20 and causes terminal 25 to contact wiring pattern on a wiring board located inside the case, thus mounting product 20 into the electronic apparatus.
In conventional taped component 501, terminal 25 extends horizontally within recess 11 when product 20 is stored in recess 11 of career tape 1. Therefore, product 20 cannot be mounted onto the wiring board just after being taken out with suction chuck 30 from recess 11 of career tape 1 since terminal 25 is directed horizontally. In order to press terminal 25 to contact the wiring pattern, product 20 is engaged into mounting tool 35, and then, mounting tool 35 is positioned. Thus, product 20 is necessarily retained with retaining chuck 32 after being sucked with suction chuck 30, thus requiring a lot of processes to mount product 20.